Sun, May 30, 2021
Painfully brief today, as I’m behind, yet need, nonetheless, to get a few things out in front of y’all.
Pine Cove City – Starts tomorrow, Mon, May 31! Yes you can sign up today, Sun, May 30. Yes we still have scholarship money to help fund your/anybody’s kid(s). Bigtime thanks to so many who have jumped in to help by getting kids registered, donating to help cover scholarships, being a Host Home for PCC counselors, donating to help cover scholarships, being on-site Nurses, and donating to help cover scholarships! :o) (“Churches be always asking for money!” Uh yeah… You mean so we can give it away to kids in our community so they hear about the love of Jesus?! Yeah, that sounds so problematic. Ok, internal voices and accompanying sarcastic rant over.) Anyway… For more info or to donate to help defray scholarship costs, go to the top of the Home page on the app or to fccgreene.org/pcc! And yes, did I mention you can still register today, as well as donate to help cover scholarships! :o)
Bluegrass & BBQ Team Bash, Sun, Jun 13, 6-8p – Seriously, you do not want to miss this. Not only do we have some really cool stuff planned, but it’s a really important part of who we are at FCC, and it’s one of the rare opportunities we’ve had lately to gather across campuses! So grab a chair because it’s all happening in the Covid-friendly outdoor environs of The Shed on Snapps Ferry RD across from Food City. Go to the top of the Home page on the app or fccgreene.org/teambash to find out more and to register! Also, very important to note is that the Team Bash is for anyone who has served, in any capacity, with any frequency, ever, and it’s for anyone who has never served or who might be brand-new to FCC or who may simply like Bluegrass and BBQ and you wanna check us out! So, to make it clear to all you new non-Southerners moving into our area: all y’all are invited! :o) We’s gots extra BBQ.
David Bowlin is our new Part-Time ‘College/Young Adults/20somethings’ Director!
We’re excited about what God has been doing in David’s life to prepare him for this ministry. On his own, he started inviting friends from his college classes to attend a Bible Study in his home that became as many as 25 in attendance and around 50 different students. So cool! We’ve hit a couple roadblocks in our past efforts to reach this demographic, and when about 30 of our elders, staff, and key leaders went to a church leaders conference recently, we got to experience a thriving C/YA/20s ministry at Watermark Church in Dallas, with whom we already have close relationship and with whom we can partner as a resource, so… We thought, “Hey, let’s support David and do our own version!” So, while there’s plenty more to tell you soon, please let your C/YA/20s know about our upcoming Vision and Preview Night on Tuesday, June 8 at 7 PM, at our Greeneville campus! Btw, “C/YA/20s” is just a working title, for now.
When are we launching our 3rd Campus? – Lots of detail to manage, behind-the-scenes stuff yet to do, and, soon enough, letter/communications from the Elders and public meetings and small financial campaign and promo and yard signs to make happen, but it is now officially something we are working toward in earnest. Since our overall thinking as a multisite church is guided by a structure that supports a “campus launching strategy”, our Elders and Pastors are continually monitoring our fitness for doing so, (see “Factors in Launching Campuses” in the recent ST from May 9), and we believe God is putting together the many things needed for us to work toward doing so sometime between mid-October through early-December 2021! … which is exciting! … and (personally) terrifying! (… and makes me wanna go into ice cream shop ownership since people at least go away happy because who doesn’t like ice cream?!) So anyway, please pray with us about… all that. I’ll be unveiling more detail as we’re ready. (Don’t you worry, there will be no shortage of communications to keep you in the loop!) Feel free to come ask questions… and I will provide the most specificity possible, (which may not yet feel like much!).
Couple Misc Pastoral Thoughts – Just a couple things I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
- I don’t know how else to say it, but in order for FCC’s strategy to “work for you”, you must meaningfully participate in The Big 3 of Engage in worship., Serve on the team., and Connect in a small group. We use the word “meaningful” a lot to talk about involvement. Sorry, but there’s simply not another way to become connected to the body so that you will grow to become who God designed you to be. Occasionally won’t do it. Online won’t do it. Participating in a piecemeal fashion that functionally requires little to nothing of you won’t do it. Please, prayerfully consider … Btw, I’ll let a little of this cat out of the bag now: Next Sun, we’re announcing a new Full-Time Next Steps Director who will be almost entirely focused on these kinds of “Next Steps” of growth issues related to implementation of our 7 Habits.
- Came across this on a church website a couple weeks ago and I can’t get it out of my head: “We are building an army, not an audience.” Holy cow. This is so important, y’all. This is the difference between a church that builds people who serve their community and churchianity that builds people who serve self. A church is on a mission that involves training its people to do work. Churchianity is so infatuated with self that it cannot be bothered with a life of making disciples. I’m sick of audience building. The world needs the church.